The Children of Eywa
by muso-artist
Summary: Takes place from the end of the film. The Omaticaya must find New Home as Jake struggles as Clan Leader. Everything will change at the arrival of a stranger, but something terrible is happening on Pandora and the Children of Eywa can do nothing about it.
1. Glossary

**Greetings all! This is a glossary/character list of Avatar. I have taken all names and phrases from a downloaded copy of a Na'vi/English dictionary, so many of these words are not created by me and therefore I cannot claim them. However, the dictionary is quite incomplete and if I have made my own names, etc, then they will be followed by an (OC) or (OI) original character or original idea.**

**If you are looking for Chapter One to this story, please select it from the scroll list to the right please.**

**Hope it helps and let me know if I need to add anything.**

**This has been updated according to Chapter 4.**

**Character Names**

**(as mentioned in this fanfic)**

Jake

Neytiri

Uai, Paru, Hal'ia (OC)

Eytukan

Tsu'tey

Mo'at

Trudy

Norm

Grace

Cha'othi (OC)

Eywa

Ti'rua (OC)

Kuana (OC)

He'arli (OC)

Iandi (OC)

Sylwanin

* * *

**Special Names**

Omaticaya: The People

Vitraya Ramunong: Tree of Souls

Tsahik: Spiritual Leader

Toruk: Last Shadow

Toruk Makto: Rider of Last Shadow

Paoang-tsawl: Big Fish

Paoang-tsawl Makto: Rider of Big Fish

Txampay Tskxe: Ocean Isle (Sea Rock)

Queue: The Na'vi's ponytail thingys.

* * *

**Creatures**

**(as seen in the film)**

Unknown/Prolemuris (monkeys)

Angtsík/Hammerhead Titanothere (rhinos)

Unknown/Thanador (big wolves)

Nantang/Viperwolf (little wolves)

Pa'li/Direhorse (horse)

Ikran/Banshee (dragons)

Yerik/Hexapede (deer)

Unknown/Stingbat (bat) These are actually only in the new extended edition of the film.

Unknown/Sturmbeast(big bull) These are also only in the new extended edition of the film.

* * *

**Phrases**

Oel ngati kameie: I see you.

Nga yawne lu oer: I love you.

Tsaheylu: The Bond.

'itetsyip: Little Daughter.

Taronsyip: Little Hunter.

Taronyu: Hunter

Ioang: Animal

Tsa'hey: Expression of warning or frustration. (Shit!)

Txept-syìpt: Dear/Cute Little Fire

Trr'ong: Sunise

Ska'wn: Moron


	2. Chapter 1: The Lost Children

A wave of dread rippled throughout the rainforest, startling the creatures before a tense silence ensued. Even the trees seemed hesitant amongst the change in atmosphere. Something was wrong and they could sense it.

With large, watchful eyes, the Omaticaya surveyed Home Tree. It had been a long and arduous journey for most, but a grieving and painful journey for all. Above them, their Ikran soared and screeched sadly into the horizon. The battle against the Sky People was over, but so many had lost their lives and even now, wounded were carried by the Pa'li and Ikran.

They had returned after only a day to find so many of their loved ones limp, skewered or missing completely. The cries of a child gave the only hope for the people and they found her little body trembling violently in the arms of her dead mother. The sight was worse than an arrow through the heart.

The lost people were resting by the river, the only clean place left in such a desolate space. They looked about them painfully where Home Tree lay dead and broken across what must have been kilometres of thriving forest. Though most of it was now charcoal and embers, it's higher branches remained unscathed and healthy. Perhaps there may have been a sliver of hope, but not anymore. Home Tree was gone.

Jake stood at the head of his people with Neytiri by his side. They both turned around to face the sorrowful clan as hundreds of lost faces stared up, looking for leadership and guidance.

"Jake?" Neytiri's soft voice was as comforting as the hand she placed on his shoulder. Her brilliant golden eyes searched his face for the hero, the man she fell in love with under the branches of the Vitraya Ramunong, the Tree of Souls. He gave her a reassuring smile and she brightened immediately before noticing a group of men and women approaching them. They were representatives of sister clans and one stepped forward, touching his hand to his forehead.

"Brother, much sadness this is. We have decided to stay with your clan, until you have found a new home." Each of them stepped forward in turn, placing their hand to their forehead and pledging themselves to the Omaticaya. Jake knew each of them well and treasured the comradery they shared from battle.

"We cannot express our gratitude, my brothers and sisters." Jake rested his hands on the shoulders of the one who had spoken to him first. He breathed deeply and said to them with greater confidence, "We will find a new home. I know that there is a place for us somewhere.

"Since you are staying with us, I ask you to take to the skies, Uai. Take as many riders as you like and help us in our search. Maybe there is another Home Tree for us yet." Uai embraced Jake, followed by his companions Paru and Hal'ia and left to call their Ikran. They came from the clan who lived on the sea cliff and their Ikran were used to enduring flights for long distances at a time over the ocean.

Jake paused before returning to face the Omaticaya with a brave face. He could see the anguish from those eyes fall upon him, pressing him into the ground with an oppressive weight. Both Eytukan and Tsu'tey were now dead and that left him, Neytiri's mate, to take the role of Clan Chief.

It was going to be hard, he knew, and no one would want to live in the poisoned land near the human's mine, but that was the only place he knew they could go. At least for the time being. Jake looked back to his mate and then to her mother, Moat, who nodded her approval of his announcement to the people.

As he called to them, an expectant silence made him feel conscious and he had to clear his throat. He spoke just as he had to them in the tense moments before the ambush on the human cargo hauler. With Moat speaking for him, Jake revealed his plan.

"You all know that Home Tree is no more and that we cannot dwell on the past. We shouldn't be suffering in our grief and loss. If you will follow me, we can go to the place of the Sky People. We can stay there until we find our new home." His words were lost in an uproar of fearful disagreement from many of the Na'vi. Sneers and hissed curses were spat at him and though he knew they were upset in the face of this disaster, he could see that the threats were empty, simple pent up grief.

He pressed on, still determined to convince them it would work for the best. "We will search the skies and the land for this new home and rebuild our clan, our way of life. I can lead you with the help of Moat and Neytiri. I cannot replace Eytukan or Tsu'tey, but I will fight for you, beside you. You have all seen this." Jake held his hands out to them, his expression remaining strong and steadfast though he felt vastly the opposite. He had to be the brave face for his clan.

"It will be the choice of the people." With his last words he left the gathering, satisfied he had done his best, though still a little deflated. Yes, they had saved their homeland, but not their home.

"They will follow you, Jake. You are Toruk Makto and their Chief and we are together." Once again he smiled, if only to reassure himself as much as she always did for him. She was a voice of reason in times when he needed it and he was hers when her emotions overcame her. But every time he looked into her eyes, he saw the spirits of her father and Tsu'tey amongst the thousands of others who paid with their lives in the Battle for Vitraya Ramunong.

Jake took her in his arms and cradled her to his chest. She breathed in his scent and smiled warmly to herself, looking up and kissing him on the lips. He ran his hands down her arms slowly to rest softly upon her abdomen.

"I see you," he whispered to the little life already stirring within Neytiri's womb.

* * *

Far away, surfing the rolling waves of the Eastern Sea, a lone Na'vi lay unconscious aboard a magnificent ocean creature. They came from a far off land dotted by islands and were seeking the help of the one that the stories named Toruk Makto. He stirred as the beast beneath him sighed a harmonious tune from deep within its being. His hand gently patted the creature and it increased its pace across the swell even though it was exhausted. It was like the Ikran, but instead of leathery wings, strong flippers propelled them through the water. Its long neck arched over its rider every few minutes to make sure he was not going to slip into the ocean's depths. Unlike the Ikran however, its nature was far more passive and inquisitive. The Na'vi called him Paoang and his rider Paoang-tsawl Makto. To a select few however, the rider's name was Cha-othi.

* * *

Jake woke with a start, his breathing rapid and heavy and stared out into the darkness. Neytiri stirred beside him and he brushed a plait away from her pristine face. He wondered why it was so difficult to see her when she was right beside him. Jake rubbed his eyes in the dim light of the glowing coals and squinted out into the nothingness where the others were laying beside them, but they could barely been seen. As he leant down to brush a fern growing close to their bedroll, he noticed it didn't light up. There was no glow, no bright colours painting picturesque forest landscapes.

He nudged Neytiri awake and hardly noticed her shocked cry, waking up others in turn until a chorus of fearful outcries and shouts echoed into the dark night. Neytiri clutched Jake by the arm, her face desperate. "It is Eywa! Jake, something is wrong with Eywa!"

Jake immediately stood tall, "Calm down! Everybody!" His voice carried out and brought some peace, though many of the children continued to whimper in the dark. The dark was something alien and kept hidden the unknown. Jake knew that fear of the dark was very common in human children back on his home planet, Earth, and noticed that fear of the unknown was definitely something to be afraid of. How can you defeat an enemy without knowing what it is?

Then he frowned; the memories of his home were fading. Even though his old world could never compare to the beauty and life on Pandora, a sliver of homesickness ebbed at the back of his mind constantly since the banishment of the Sky People.

Of course, there were still a few humans remaining, like Norm. His decision to stick with his human body was based on his avatar's death but it also meant that the old team stayed behind as well, including the other avatar drivers. They stayed at the compound where an Embassy was to be erected and a treaty formed between the two races. This was all just talk so far, and Jake doubted that action would take place any time soon.

Suddenly their ears pricked up and in the distance they all heard the whir of helicopter blades and a set of lights appeared from downriver. The Omaticaya allowed the humans to keep a single flight regiment newly named Rogue T after Trudy in honour of her sacrafice.

Rogue Alpha circled once before coming to a halt near where Jake stood. He placed his fingers to the communicator on his neck as Na'vi moved away from where the copter began to land, "Norm? Is that you?"

A small figure tripped out of the copter, landing heavily onto his back with a groan and Jake stepped over to him, pulling him up to his feet. Norm brushed his clothes of dust and shook Jake's huge hand.

"Hi Jake, is everything okay? The darkness is new huh?" His inquisitive nature drew him to various plants that would normally be glowing brilliantly.

"Yeah, I know Norm." Jake looked back into the darkness again, his eyes beginning to adjust to the dark.

"It is Eywa; she has a sickness," Neytiri said sorrowfully.

"Is that why it's so dark? It's like the plants have lost their life source," he wondered. "Jake, Grace said something before about the trees here while we were studying the root systems. You remember the day that Thanador chased you off a cliff?"

"Shut up, Norm," he laughed.

"Well she discovered the closest interconnection of neural biology known and I think that-"

"Norm, just say it without the quacking."

"When Home Tree was destroyed, the connections it had to other trees might mean that they'll die with it, it's like a virus," he added, his expression turning grave. "That's why we came here, because the same thing is happening back at the compound."

"This is happening in more places?" Neytiri drew closer to him, fear and worry for Eywa and her children clearly etched into her face.

"It's happening within a thousand mile radius of Home Tree and spreading. Neytiri, I think you need to go with Moat to Eywa and see if there are answers there."

"It would seem," Moat added, "that the fight for our land has only just begun. We will go to Eywa, but expect nothing. It is a deep wound the Sky People have cut, and now it is infected. This will only bring badness."

Jake left the others once Mo'at finished. He was angry at the human part of him, at humans in general. He hated how they had brought the destruction and desolation they had wrought on Earth to his new home. He was frustrated that all he seemed to do was fly in circles, forever gliding closer and closer to the ground. He was scared for his people and for Eywa, but he didn't know what to do.

"Jake," Neytiri came over to stand by him as he stared into the river. "I can feel your pain. It will be okay. Everything happens the way it happens. That is the will of Eywa."

"Yeah, but I bet Eywa wasn't expecting us, was she?" Jake snapped. Neytiri pulled away, hurt and she noted that Jake said 'us'.

"What do you mean?" she ventured.

"Humans! Without me, the people would all be dead and the Tree of Souls destroyed. Eywa wouldn't have acted without my asking. Who conquered Toruk? It took a human to do this."

"Jake..." His words cut her, making her feel as though she was bleeding from an invisible wound and her eyes stung from the tears that threatened to fall.

His shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry, Neytiri. I didn't mean that. My actions were nothing in comparison to the bravery of the people. It's just that I feel so useless. The people need someone to lead them through this and I'm still learning. I'm not the right man for the job."

"I'm not sure I understand, but I do know this: a hunter cannot learn to hunt his prey through the tales of a storyteller. He must make the kill himself and become the hunter in doing so." She placed her hand on his face and leaned in to kiss him softly on his forehead. "I believe in you, Jake. We all do."


	3. Chapter 2: Mother Eywa

**Yes, I know. Not much for such a long time, but I think once I get further into this there will be more chapters a lot faster :) Also, I picked up a Na'vi-English disctionary so that's how I came up with the Payoang Makto-the catch is that it means Rider of Fish so I changed it to Payoang-tsawl which means Big Fish. I'll upload a glossary just in case.**

**Please enjoy and review/comment!**

_'Rogue Alpha to Eagle Pandora, do you copy? Requesting attention, Eagle Pandora…'_

_'Copy Rogue Alpha, this is Eagle Pandora. Proceed with your request…'_

_'Copy Eagle Pandora, there's about two hundred refugee survivors in Sector Twelve. We're gonna have to bring them back to the compound, request for an air-vac in the morning…'_

_'Request received and authorised. You'll have an air-vac in there by dawn.'_

Jake switched the communication screens off and stepped out of the cramped copter, looking out over the grassy area where his people stared back at him. He climbed on top of the copter to address them in Na'vi, "We leave in the morning. Who of you are willing to go to the Place of the Sky People?" They were silent and hesitated for moment so that the quiet seemed to tear at the air above them. Jake cast his gaze over the entire Clan, studying them to see if they would follow him. The first to step toward him were women and their children, afraid to go without a leader and a safe place to stay. Most of the men joined them but there was a small group who remained behind. About twelve warriors stood firm against Jake and though he didn't show it, it cut him deeply.

"Brothers, if you will not come with us, will you help in the search for New Home?"

Their initial hostile demeanour was replaced by surprise firstly, and then satisfaction. Jake knew what they wanted and what they didn't want and if it meant that they would not be staying in the cursed Place of the Sky People, they weren't about to let their grudges get in the way of finding New Home.

"It's settled then. Tomorrow, take your Ikran and go with our cousins from the East Sea Cliffs. Fly high and far." He saw it as a way to keep the peace. Do what is best for the people, but do it how they want it done. Neytiri appeared beside him, her eyes wonderfully brightened by her smile and he kissed her softly.

"Do you see? All will be fine," she motioned to the people once they broke from the kiss. A small foraging group had gone out to collect food and had just returned. Now that everyone was awake and agitated, though still excited, sleep was far from anyone's mind and the small fires were ablaze again.

"Mother and I will go to Eywa now. There will be no time tomorrow." Neytiri looked into his eyes and smiled once more. "All will be fine," she repeated.

"Famous last words," he said as he stared into the darkness.

Neytiri gave him a confused look and left him to his thoughts to go to where Mo'at was sitting upon a Pa'li. She passed a flashlight to Neytiri who then called out to him when she mounted her own Pa'li. He barely heard what she said though and went with the first thing that came to his mind.

"Nga yawne lu oer!" He shouted as the Pa'li galloped away. It meant 'I love you', and though the transition from English to Na'vi was steadily becoming easier, he still clung to a little English when he was with the people. Of course, he always reverted back to his old language when he was with Humans.

Jake watched Neytiri disappear into the darkness, the flashlights she and Mo'at had were the only indication as to where they were until even that was enveloped by shadows. He longed to go with her, to be out there now, searching for a way to help the people, to help Eywa, anything! But he was stuck here, he was responsible for an entire Clan of lost Na'vi.

Mo'at told him something once. When a person is blind, they will seek another to guide them. This, he realised, was what she meant. The people were blind and he was their guide. _Help me...please._ His thoughts were hollow in self doubt and he knew why. He was a marine. He followed orders. That's all there was to it.

He went and sat next to Norm, who had taken up a seat in front of a fire and was talking away to some Na'vi children. They stared at him wide-eyed as they ran their fingers over his hair and touched his clothes. Norm told them stories about Earth and tried to explain a world not entirely unlike Pandora. One that was just as bright and colourful, but one that was devoid of anything natural. Everything made from the same stuff as the Place of the Sky People, filled with polluted air and covered in a layer of rust, oil and soot.

Jake zoned out, lost in his own memories of Earth when Norm's voice snapped him back to the real world. "I'm going to check out the plants around here, Jake. Wanna come?" He was already extracting similar instruments he and Grace used to use when they went on their quacky adventures through the forests.

"Yeah, ok."

They both stood up, followed by a few of the Na'vi who were interested in Norm's things. He was kneeling by a huge flower-like plant that once shone a brilliant blue green. He inserted a fine needle into the plant and gasped with wide eyes.

"Jake, it's worse here. Back at the compound the phosphorescence was simply dull, but here it's tenfold. It's like the land is dying." Norm looked up at Jake, almost seven feet standing above him.

Jake frowned. There was definitely something wring with Eywa. She was in pain and he had seen her suffering in the faces of the people and now he could see it in the plants as well.

"Let me check something," Norm whispered. He leapt from his crouched position and jogged over to some of the plants that were closer to the fallen Home Tree. He inserted the needle once more and slouched back on his haunches, his shoulders sagging as his fears were realised. Jake and the others had followed him with a watchful gaze, all trying to comprehend what Norm was doing.

"I-I was right," he stammered. "When Home Tree dies, everything else around it dies too." Norm looked up at the others who had begun to gather behind Jake and motioned for him to come closer. Jake took what normally for a human would be a few paces as two steps then knelt down in front of Norm.

"I need to talk to you, Jake. Alone."

When they had walked a distance far enough not to be heard, Norm grabbed Jake by the arm and leaned in as though he was still trying to be cautious.

"They're coming back, Jake. There's gonna be some real big fish arriving on Pandora soon. They were coming on an inspection around the Unobtanium mines," he explained. "So when they get here, they're not gonna be happy."

"I don't need this!" Jake hissed in frustration.

"Whoa, Jake. We can salvage this. The treaty remember? We can get them to sign a treaty with you and since you're still part human, there's no way they can screw the Omaticaya over again."

"How can I convince a bunch of suits? To them I was just a war tool and now I'm even less. They won't give a shit about us or Eywa."

"But we can! Jake, you have us. The rest of the team that stayed here, we could-."

"No, Norm. It's not worth losing more people over."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Because saving them in the short term is gonna keep them safe in the long run."

"You're out of line, Norm. You have no idea what it's like!"

"No, I don't. But maybe that's the problem here, Jake. You're too afraid to let anyone help you. You're too stubborn to even think for a second, that what everyone wants is not what everyone needs."

"So I should somehow explain to those suits that their Money Mine, which is the _only_ thing they care about, is now shut down? Am I supposed to butter them up so that if I let them mine the Unobtainum again, they won't declare an all out Human/Na'vi war?"

"Yes! It's the best option, Jake. The lesser of two evils. If we can spark a nerve of empathy, or even sympathy in these guys then we'll ave a fighting chance!"

"Look around you, Norm. The people can't another fight. No one comes out of war victorious. No one wins. There are always two sides that lose."

Jake knew there was nothing else to be said and called to his Ikran with a piercing whistle. He heard an answering screech as a blue marbled Ikran slowed down his descent to the ground. It trilled cheekily as Jake patted its maw, eyeing off Norm with thoughts of prey.

"Not this time friend, maybe later," he joked, casting Norm a slight grin.

"Where are you going now?"

"To think. I'll see you in the morning." He waved to the others who stood watching from afar and placed the white nerve strings into his Ikran's.

Their minds combined once more and it's recent memories approached him gently. His own joined the interwoven thoughts and they both breathed deeply. "Let's go."

The Ikran began to powerfully beat it's four wings, the immense effort of taking off from the ground was difficult but it could be done. Every steady beat was strong and forceful as Jake patted him on the neck encouragingly. It screeched into the stillness of the night sky and reached one of the massive branches from Home Tree, catapulting itself higher into the air.

Jakes toes flexed over the stirrups of his saddle and he smiled as the wind flowed over him. He crouched down close, feeling every muscle course through the Ikrans dynamic body and sensing the distinct heat beat from within.

"You hungry boy, or is that just me?" he mentioned. It trilled again in response and they soared higher into the air. They could spot something easier from this height and if it meant that a chase was going to follow then higher ground was an advantage.

Jake's thoughts wouldn't calm down and his mind felt like the buzzing was getting louder and louder. It was like something was pushing on him, into him and he had to shake it off before they both fell into a dive. Then suddenly it changed. He felt a tugging sensation, like he was being pulled away.

"Wha? What's going on?"

A wave of nausea flooded over him and he imagined the ground rushing up towards them and the clouds above being sucked into an infinite hole. The entire universe was on his shoulders and yet he was spinning weightlessly into nothing. Jake screamed out in fear, flailing his arms waywardly, startling his Ikran.

It emitted an ear piercing screech as Jake's thoughts ricocheted between their connection. It's flight became unstable just like their first flight together. But this was different. It tried desperately to climb back up to a safe altitude without success and careened into the canopy, tearing holes into it's leathery wings. The intense pain felt through his Ikran was the last thing Jake remembered before he blacked out.

* * *

The luminous vine-like strands swayed gently towards the Tsa'hey of the Omaticaya Clan, their pink iridescent light soothing and serene. Even without the connection, Mo'at could hear the whispers and memories of those with Eywa.

"Soon, daughter. You will be ready." Mo'at bowed her head to Neytiri as she approached the Tree of Souls. "I did not believe, that when you chose Jake, you would become our clan's Tsa'hey. My judgement came too early and I was blinded by our culture's tradition."

"Mother, you did not do the wrong thing. For me to mate with an outsider was to turn my back on my people and my identity. But I stand by what I did. I love Jake."

"I know, and he loves you. He will make a good Clan Chief."

Neytiri smiled and took her mother's hands in her own before they embraced. Then they knelt down so that they would be comfortable and brought their braids up to a selection of the pink vines. Her face relaxed as the presence of Eywa flowed over her, filling her with a strength and prosperity that she had never experienced anywhere else. But it was different somehow.

"Eywa!" Mo'at suddenly screamed and slunk back as though hit by an intense exhaustion.

Neytiri cried out to her, catching her before she fell while trying not to panic. It was as if she were a dreamwalker, like all of her soul and mind had been torn out of her body just as Jake sometimes did. Mo'at's body was completely motionless. A limp figure.

She laid her down onto the mossy ground gently and stroked her face. It was a terrible thing when Jake and Grace were dragged back from their 'avatars' into their human bodies. Neytiri imagined some kind of great force pulling her down as she clung to the edge of a cliff and eventually she was pulled in two.

It was definitely a terrible thing.

Neytiri sat there with her mother's head her lap for a long time until she imagined she heard voices coming from the tree.

_Neytiri! It is alright, my daughter. Eywa has not taken me away, but I am still with her. She has told me everything. Please, bring my body to the branches and make the connection for me. I will then explain what I now know._

It was all she could do to not scream out in fear, because she wasn't even sure what she would be afraid of. Perhaps the fact that she was hearing Mo'at's voice through the Tree of Souls when that should be impossible. Only those who have passed from life through Eywa existed within these branches and yet, here she was listening to her own mother.

Then again, there was the fact that Mo'at was not a dreamwalker.

"Of course I will, mother." Neytiri's eyes widened with the surreality of it all. She held her mother's body up close enough so that she could make the connection for her. Instantly, Mo'at shuddered back to life, gasping for air as though she had been suffocating within a shell. Neytiri's arms wrapped about her mother with such vivacity that Mo'at had to push her away to breath.

"Mother! I was so worried."

"After I told you that I was alright?"

"Forgive me, mother."

"There is nothing to forgive, my child. But I must show you what I have seen." She spoke reverently and with an air of divinity.

"We were right in that Eywa is sick, but the damage is so big, not you or Jake or I can heal this alone," she said gravely. "Norm, was very close too. Our Home Tree was not the only one of it's kind. Eywa has shown me that there are more, and they too are dying." Mo'at's voice was firm, but her eyes were filled with a sadness beyond compare. It is the Tsa'hey's honour to share a special bond with Eywa and that bond is not like that with a Pa'li or Ikran. It is infinite in its complexity and more unifying and completing than anything else.

"Perhaps there is some other way." Neytiri was hopeful. Hope lead her so far through these past few days and she wanted so desperately for it to stay that way.

Mind makes the strategist.

Body makes the warrior.

Spirit makes the hero.

That was what Jake told her.

"I am sorry, my child. But Eywa has shown me that there is nothing from our world that can save her now," Mo'at said with her eyes downcast. There was so much that she had seen and she didn't know what she could do with so much knowledge. She reached her hand out and laid it upon Neytiri's arm gently. "Come, I will show you Eywa as you have never known her to be."

Mo'at reached out to another group of the fluorescent vines and made the connection and Neytiri followed suit. The feathery threads curled and uncurled, swaying to and fro until each one had wrapped itself around the pink vines securely. Neytiri's pupils dilated as she was once again enveloped by Eywa's presence.

* * *

Cha'othi resurfaced, floating along as the swell of the ocean lifted and lowered him in a continuous motion. His hair flicked around as he searched for Nawn'pay, his Payoang-tsawl so that they may continue their journey, but she was nowhere to be seen. Taking another breath, he dived just under the water and brought his hands to his chest to put pressure on his diaphragm. He knew that a series of clicks and sing-song sounds could travel underwater much faster than above and that if he waited adrift in the open like this for too long, something bigger than he might come to investigate.

The Na'vi man swept his gaze around him, searching for some sign that his partner had heard. It was difficult not to get distracted though, by the picturesque waterscapes. They had reached a reef garden when Nawn'pay moaned to go hunt. Cha'othi had patted her snout in agreement with big grin on his face before they both slipped beneath the waters surface and went their separate ways, making sure to meet back at that same spot.

All around him was life. In the gardens, where water plants and corals grew in abundance, were also thousands upon thousands of fish ranging in sizes from little ones no bigger than his nail to others that might as well swallow him whole. It was the show of colours, however, that really caught the eye. Everywhere he looked, there were flashes of pink, a sliver of orange or deep shades of green and purple.

Suddenly, like the change in the tides, he heard what he had been waiting for. Singing in a joyful tone with clicks and whistles was Nawn'pay swimming towards him with fervent flair. First he smiled broadly, then he frowned. There was a dark shape almost as big as she was to his right. It grew bigger and bigger until his eyes popped wide open and Cha'othi screeched a warning to Nawn'pay who understood immediately. She doubled her speed towards her rider that seemed barely fast enough to reach him in time.

The dark shape began to take on form, revealing a giant gaping maw with rows upon rows of teeth. He knew that he needed to either make a break for Nawn'pay or for the reef, but the reef was to far away. Without a second glance his powerful legs propelled him through the water towards her.

* * *

She saw the entire planet. It was like being aware that there was a forest more vast than any she could have dreamed of. The seas were so deep, so ferocious and yet so becalming. So many trees covered the land and every single one held life, _was_ life. She felt the connection spread to each tree around her until she was aware of all of them. Every leaf, every twig, every little insect that was hidden under bark. The rivers and streams that flowed out into oceans and seas. A glistening blue land of crystal that was always moving and forever restless. Beneath the waves was another world entirely. Within it were strangely shaped plants and rocks and a darkness where even the sun could not reach. So much she had not seen, she felt like a baby.

She saw Eywa and her children for all that they were. Creatures that flew, some that even swam and lived underground. There were all sorts, shapes and sizes. Many she had never seen, most more beautiful than she had seen and others that were so odd she marvelled at them for only moments but seemed like hours. She could feel unrest within them, an anxiousness for something that was coming, but they didn't understand.

She saw many, many tribes everywhere. Each different in it's own way with people, culture and the places they lived all different. There were clans that reached for miles, giant communities of people that reminded her of something that Jake had told her about. _Cities_.

She saw Jake. It was an upon instinct that she thought of him and in that instant she was looking at him. Watching him fly with his Ikran high over the canopy towards the floating mountains. And then she saw him fall...


	4. Chapter 3: Payoang tsawl Makto

**Yay Chapter 3!**

**Anyways, another shorty. But it's building! If you've been reading then thank you and I hope you enjoy this one. As always, R&R please. ;)**

The cliffs were treacherous; a steep, jagged rockface that had been beaten down and eroded away over the years where relentless waves crashed and broke against it. Respect for the ocean was the first thing young Na'vi learned. It was apart of their culture and livelihood. The people of the Sea Cliffs knew the dangers of their home, but they also knew the beauty of it.

The ocean sunset that streaked the sky with dashes of brilliant orange and majestic purples was known by many to be the most resplendent and stunning . Atop the cliffs stood a young girl, eyes filled with awe as she watched the setting sun. The white spray from the waves that continued to crash below her became accented in golden hues, and soon her blue skin was covered in sparkling orange crystals.

She stood completely still, letting the droplets collect and roll down her skin. There was something about the water that drew her instinctively. She was still yet to learn how to collect the shellfish that could be found on the rocks below the waves and how to hunt fish in the reefs further out to sea. She was, of course, an excellent swimmer and found it difficult to leave it. But her mother was strict about these things and if she ever wanted to have a moment like this one, she had to make sure that her mother was back in the village tending to the sick and wounded. It was one thing to have a great healer in the Clan, but it was another thing when she is your mother.

"Ti'rua!" A boy was running along the cliff edge towards her, waving madly to her. She smiled broadly and waved back. He mimicked her smile with his own grin and in the process, lost his footing and nearly slipped over the edge.

"Kuana! Look out!" Ti'rua raced to where Kuana was dangling over the cliff, her heart racing just as fast. She latched onto his arms and clenched her teeth as she attempted to drag him back.

"I'm ok," he laughed as she pulled him back onto solid ground. They collapsed onto the grass, panting from the effort and shock of what had just happened.

"Loose some weight, Kuana. You're getting heavy," she gasped.

"So I should, too. I'm going to be as big as my dad some day and for that to happen, I've got to be eating like a real taronyu." He puffed out his chest and made a face that was a mixture between a 'terrifying' expression and a Pa'li's butt.

"Well at least watch where you are running. Imagine if you had lost your hold?" she scorned him, her hands on her hips.

"Thank you for being worried, Ti'rua. But you're just being as paranoid as your mother now," he smirked cheekily.

"No, I'm not," she said back with an indignant flick of her braids.

"Yes, you are."

"What's that?" Ti'rua said suddenly, shielding her eyes against the sun's beautiful fury.

"Don't try and change the subject, Ti'rua. I'm not _that_ stupid."

"No, Kuana. _Look_," she pointed out across the water. "What is that?"

He turned around, searching the surface for what Ti'rua had been pointing at but he couldn't see a thing from the blinding sun. "Where is it?"

"Just in front of the sun."

"I can't see anything anywhere near the sun," he said exasperated.

"You're such a skawn."

"You're just a daydreamer that tries to hard to change the subject," he retorted, poking his tongue out.

"Kuana, I'm serious. There's something out there that's really big." Her curiosity had always been her biggest fault, and now that something had caught her eye, there was no way she was giving up until she found out exactly what it was.

"Maybe it's some surfacing ioang," Kuana suggested as he shrugged his shoulders.

"No, it's surfing across the waves and coming towards us."

She was right. Whatever it was seemed only small in the distance, but being from the Sea Cliff Clan, Ti'rua and her people could make detailed judgements about how far something was from where they stood. Because the object she was trying to focus on was right on the horizon, she had a good idea of where it was.

"I'm going to get He'arli. She'll take me with her to check it out."

"What about me?"

"You know that'd _I'd_ let you ride on my Ikran, Kuana. But it's not mine, is it?" With that she began to jog back to the village to He'arli's hut.

"Fine. You should be back before it gets dark. The Tsa'hik said Eywa can no longer light our way at night. Besides," he added "your mother will drop you off the edge."

"Don't remind me. I'll will return quickly."

* * *

It was all Cha'othi could do to keep focused on the strip of cliffs ahead of him. Only three days had passed since he had set out on his journey and with the sun dipping low behind him, he was eager to reach land and stand on his own two feet again. Swimming was something no one could take from him, but walking and running was still good too.

He made a _click click_ sound in his mouth and Nawn'pay replied with a chorus or chirrups before bringing up her pace just a notch. She was so tired that the journey back to the isles where her rider came from was all the more daunting. But then there was something she was unused to, something that she had never felt before. It was almost like when her prey evaded her on a hunt time and time again and she had to return hungry. Or even like the way she felt when she was woken abruptly from a deep sleep. Though these new feelings toyed throughout her mind, she continued on, relishing in the idea of finishing their trek across the sea.

Cha'othi stared at the coastline, eagerness and excitement evident on his face. His instructions were clear though. Find Toruk Makto and bring him back to the Isle. He hoped every night that what had happened there would not be what he would find elsewhere. His elders had placed extreme honour and responsibility on his shoulders with his charge and though leaving Iandi was hard, he knew that upon his return they would finally be mated. Cha-othi was broken from his reverie as a single Ikran vaulted into the deepening blue of the sky.

It screeched into the air menacingly and then began to fly straight towards them with speed. A sound that carried to the ears of Nawn'pay, agitating her immensely. She shook her head in distraught, upending her rider in the process. He turned the slip into a perfect dive within the last minute and cut through the waves like a streamlined fish.

"What's the matter with you? It's just an Ikran," he chided her as he hefted himself onto her back again, making tsaheylu. He shook off the water quickly and cast his gaze to the sky where the Ikran was clearly visible now with a rider, no two. He held his arms outstretched, knowing that they would have known he was there long before he knew about them. They banked slightly, moving casually into a spiral descent until they were circling above him at a distance.

"Who are you?" The woman shouted. She had strong features and a comely face, curious as much as suspicious.

"I am Payoang-tsawl Makto," he responded. Cha'othi felt a little cautious as he stared at the tip of an arrow. "I seek the one you call Toruk Makto." A short gasp escaped from behind the woman and she hushed at the girl clinging to her back. She had big eyes that he could see were filled with a bottomless imagination and a deep care for everything around her. She was definitely a child of Eywa.

"Where have you come from? Rider of Fish." Her humorous side seemed to reveal itself and he relaxed momentarily before she shook the cocked arrow at him. Her braids seemed to cascade across her set shoulders, a gentleness about her firm demeanour. As her Ikran continued to circle, her hawk-like gaze never left his body and he was sure that if he made one wrong move, it would be his last.

"Put down your weapon, sister. I have travelled across the seas from a distant Clan of the water. We live in the deep islands. Tell me, where can I find Toruk Makto?" Cha'othi storm firm, his sea legs allowing him to maintain his balance while Nawn'pay swam on.

"Follow," she gestured towards a cove that jutted under the cliffs and with another terrible screech, her Ikran sailed away. Cha'othi watched as her hair whipped about behind her and those big eyes from the girl stared back at him.

"Come on, girl. Let's get this done." Nawn'pay trilled in response as she propelled herself over the waves behind the flying creature above her. The sky, she knew, was it's domain, but the water was hers and she easily kept pace.

The break in the cliff was still a distance away and when they finally reached the opening, Cha'othi gasped in wonder. Lush foliage from tree branches spiderwebbed high above the water, leaving a column of light to lance towards a sparklingly clear lagoon. The entire place was probably no larger than some of the smaller islands on the Isle back home. The rockface travelled all the way around the lagoon, meeting at one point where cascades wound their way down through the rocks. A fine mist wafted from the series of small waterfalls and Cha'othi faltered before he remembered to breath.

"This is peaceful place. Our Clan comes here often when we need to release our thoughts. It is also the only place you may leave your creature." The Na'vi woman was sitting along a low hanging branch that was decorated in sea blossoms. She looked down at him, pensive to his every move.

"I cannot leave Nawn'pay here. Every moment that is wasted costs life. I must find Toruk Makto and return Home. It is not negotiable." His expression was firm, his tail flicking in irritation at the arrogance of this woman.

"You are a stranger who came from the sea and you demand from our people? I would want to ask why," she began, "but I am not the one to do asking." Her gaze moved to a gathering of people who had appeared from behind the cascades, bow and arrows ready just as she had. But another woman stood out from the rest, one who sported crimson body paint over the majority of her body so that she seemed more red than blue. Her face was impassive and steadfast, and if the tension caused by an unnatural silence hadn't unnerved Cha'othi at all, then her lethal stare would definitely wither him to ashes.

"What is your name?" she asked bluntly.

"I am Cha'othi. Payoang-tsawl Makto." A collective intake of breath alerted him that his title had some significance in the lives of this Clan. The Clan Leader raised her arm, signalling for the arrows to slack.

"Where did you come from?" she continued.

"Across the ocean waters are a stretch of islands called the Isle. My Clan once lived on the mainland here as fishermen. When many of their canoes were swept out into deepsea during a storm, they were guided by a colossal creature of the sea to the Isle and became Txampay Tskxe, the Ocean Isle Clan." Cha'othi spoke calmly and reverently, knowing full well that he had to show the utmost respect.

"What is it you seek?"

"Toruk Makto."

"Why?"

"I know only the charge I have been set by my Elders. Find Toruk Makto and take them to my Elders." He was becoming a little irritated by his interrogation, feeling that he should have been taken to Toruk Makto by now.

"I have one more question. What reason do we have to trust a stranger from across the sea? These are terrible times and coincidentally, you arrive here on the back of an ocean creature. You, Cha'othi, are a bad omen and cannot be allowed any further into the land of our Mother."

"I must find Toruk Makto!" he protested.

The Clan Leader then cried out to another group that had been standing atop the cliffs near the entrance to the lagoon. On her signal, two colossal animals pushed huge boulders into the pass, creating a rockslide into the water and sealing it completely off.

"What is the meaning of this? Why have you trapped me here? I have done nothing to your people!" His frustration surfaced, unsettling Nawn'pay and making her cry out.

"I am sorry, brother, but we cannot trust easily in these dark nights."

"I am not the cause for the darkness! I am here to try and heal Eywa!"

"Watch him, make sure he doesn't leave the lagoon. He'arli, you are responsible for them." The Clan Leader completely ignored him and gestured to He'arli with a wave of her hand.

"Sister!"

"No. You are responsible for them."

"You cannot keep me here!" shouted Cha'othi.

"Our Clan Leader has already decided. Don't bother trying to get out, we have hunters everywhere." As if on cue, dozens of knocked arrows were aimed directly at Cha'othi. He stared back at them with a deadly look in his eyes.

"What is your name, woman?" he spat.

"He'arli," she said after a pause.

"Then know this He'arli, daughter of the Sea Cliff Clan," he began darkly. "If you keep me here, then you will have forsaken Eywa and all her children. You and your Clan will be the cause of the death of our great mother."

* * *

The ship's navigational instruments blinked into life as the auto pilot unlocked, allowing the chryostasis medics to release the rest of the deck crew. As soon as all systems were back on, chryo medics then brought those that had been brought along as extra hands for the POI's. Only until everything had been set up for them were they able to release the twenty-two share holders of ETCOM, the company that headed the unobtainium mine.

The intercom system went online at that moment, spreading messages about the intergalactic vessel. The voice was an artificial woman's voice that sounded cold and monotonous.

_All maintenance teams are to converge in the respective rooms of Levels 2, 5 and 8. This is not an emergency, but it is mandatory._

_All Starsail staff are required on deck. Please make your way to the deck immediately._

_All ETCOM personnel must be accompanied by a Starsail attendant. Please remain in your designated areas coded by a yellow stripe. Starsail Delta will enter Pandora's atmosphere in approximately 71 hours._


	5. Chapter 4: Eywa's Vassal

**Here is Chapter Four-believe it! **

"Can I feed your animal?" Ti'rua's inquisitive voice sounded from atop a large boulder that curved into the glassy water. Cha'othi wasn't listening however, too caught up in the sudden halt of his journey and was eventually startled by the soft crooning by Nawn'pay.

"I'ts alright, girl," he mumbled half-heartedly. "I'll get us out of this."

"How are you going to do that?" Ti'rua spoke up, interrupting his dwindling thoughts.

"Ti'rua! Step away from the outsider." He'arli strode with ease along a long hanging branch that dipped steadily so that her pace remained constant when she reached the ground. She gave Ti'rua a nudge in the direction of the pass that led to the village and continued on towards the glum newcomers.

"Here are some fish for your beast. There will be another who shall bring you some food when the hunters return. In the mean time," she added, "you will come with me. Your beast will be fine here." Cha'othi could see that she was attempting a demanding authoritative tone, but he could also tell that it was difficult for her, or uncomfortable rather. Reasons for which, however, he could not ascertain.

"I do not leave Nawn'pay."

"You don't have a choice. Our leader has made her decision."

"Is it not enough for you to imprison us? Do you need to interrogate me also and torture the both of us into telling you want you want to hear?" His displeasure was rising again, disbelief and frustration feeding it like fuel to a furnace. "You dishonour Eywa herself with your hostility and suspicion." Nawn'pay became unsettled again now, catching the attention of all the hunters placed on guard.

"Save me the speech and come along. I won't tell you again."

"Your threats are empty. I am Payoang-tsawl Makto, I will never leave Nawn'pay." He'arli scowled at his stubbornness and knocked an arrow to point straight at his face but Cha'othi stood his ground. "Don't bother. I am not frightened by your bluff."

"I will throw you off the cliffs!" He'arli barked at him.

"He'arli?"

"You couldn't throw a stone."

"I will feed you to the ocean monsters!" continued He'arli.

"He'arli?"

"I hunt them for food."

"I will-"

"He'arli!"

"What, Ti'rua!"

"Can I feed the sea animal?"

He'arli threw her hands in the air in exasperation as she stalked off down the path towards the village. She had left Ti'rua behind with Cha'othi, who's cool calmness seemed more like a dormant volcano than true placidness.

"So, can I feed your animal?" Ti'rua asked again with an innocence unknown to her.

"No." Cha'othi turned away from Ti'rua and walked to the waters edge where the salty water lapped gently over the sand. On the inside he knew, he was disappointed. But there was something else, perhaps helplessness. Maybe even sadness. The fact was that because of some narrow minded need to blame, the leader with the red tattoos trusted her ignorance and his mission to save the world had come to an abrupt and utter dead stop.

None of this came to the attention of Ti'rua, who had stuck her fists onto her hips as though such a signal would change the mind of the stranger from across the sea. Her attention was rather attracted to the magnificent creature that floated in languidly in the cut off lagoon. It had arched it's neck so that it's head rested against it's thick throat. It echoed a quiet song that dwindled in the creature's unhappiness. She felt pity for it. Ti'rua's eyes glanced at Cha'othi, who was now seated on the sand and also looking to his creature and then back to the path where He'arli had left.

_If only the sun would stay in the sky a little longer_, she thought. _Then I could stay too._ Ti'rua looked at the man curiously, wondering about questions she knew would not be answered if they were asked. Besides, if she didn't get back to her hut soon, her mother would make sure she would never be able to come back and see the odd pair again.

"I have to go now. Good bye…Cha'othi." With her last word she spun on her heel and took off down the path out of the prison-like lagoon. Cha'othi didn't even bother to look behind him, still lost in his own thoughts and worries.

_Wait. My name. She spoke my name._

* * *

With Jake, Neytiri and Mo'at gone, there was no one to stand in front of the Omaticaya. There was no head for the body, as they would say. It wasn't unusual to have Jake and Neytiri away for days at a time, but at least Mo'at was there when needed. So why did the people feel so uneasy about tonight? Apart from the disturbing sense of dread that seemed to leak out of the environment about them, something else also edged its way around the imaginations of the Na'vi.

Norm however, was strutting around the camp, making a series of conversations with random men, women and often the children so that he could come to know them a bit better. In reality, he was just showing off his proficiency in their language. As he made his way around them, he began to feel a certain air of authority, because when Jake had left, he had practically left the people in Norm's care. Sure, he didn't actually _say_ that. But it was implied.

The Na'vi, on the other hand, found his behaviour more so amusing than inspiring. Maybe it was the fact that even when they were seated on the ground cross-legged, the ten-foot tall Na'vi were still able to look down at Norm. In comparison, his species was so short and petite whereas they were lean, tall and had tails. Grace had told some of them about how humans used to have tails a long, long, long time ago. Now, they were plain skinned, amorphous aliens that hide behind glass and metal.

After a while, Norm grew tired from walking all along the edge of the river and talking to almost every single Na'vi in the area as well as having a killer neck ache from craning his head back so that he could see the Na'vi face to face.

The pilot that had come with him from the Compound was seated by his copter, engaged in a little game some children near him were playing. They appeared to be nervous around him, an aftertaste of doubt that this alien who had tried to destroy them, was not to be feared. Curiosity, as it does, brought them away from that fear and soon they were stroking his aviation gear and giggling about how funny he looked. Another thing that thrilled the children was his grizzly muzzle. The spiky hairs on his face was like when a head that has been shaved is allowed to grow back it's hair.

"Having a good time?" Norm asked as he planted himself beside the pilot, realising that his fantasy of being a leader was not all it was cracked up to be.

"These guys keep sayin' stuff. 'nd when I go 'Huh?', they all start gigglin'." The pilot's name was George Willmore and though his drawl of an accent made people think otherwise, he was incredibly intelligent. George was able to understand his copter down the very minute components with in the engines. He even knew the physics behind the electrical and mechanical features that assisted in navigation, motor control and just how everything worked. Grace had seen his mind as untouched potential, and Norm had only just begun to see it too.

"They are asking if you take baths. They say you smell like the rear end of a Direhorse on a hot day." Norm chuckled to himself as George roared his displeasure at the now agitatedly excited children who then continued to giggle and shout.

"George!" laughed Norm. "It's nearly daybreak. How about we radio in and see where the evac is?"

"A'right. Jake come back yet?"

"Unfortunately, no. Neither has Neytiri or Mo'at."

"Who?"

"Jake's girlfriend and mother-in-law," Norm said emphatically, rolling his eyes at the jarhead.

"Aah," he nodded. "Women, huh?"

"Uh, yeah. Women." It was all Norm could do to stop himself from yawning. It seemed like making conversation was not on George's to do list. Usually, one of the avatar drivers would come with him when he was with the Na'vi Clan. Now, he realised, he really should have brought along someone else. Felicity or Trey would have at least held an intelligent conversation. But then he remembered who he was talking to. George, though all-knowing in terms of the physics of machines, was also a dead fish when it came the Pandora, Eywa and the 'blue monkeys' that shot massive lethal arrows.

"So, how 'bout we send a shout out to our pals back at base?" George clapped his hands together once before standing up at a whopping seven feet. To Norm, he may as well have been just as tall as an adolescent Na'vi. To the Na'vi, he was still a tiny human.

"Yes!" Norm blurted out, still eager to find out how soon the evac would arrive. "I mean, yes. Let's call in."

The two men walked towards the copter, jumping into the cockpit where George activated all systems and Norm sat himself down comfortably.

_'This is Lieutenant Tommson of Rogue Alpha. Where's that air-vac?…'_ George had the earpiece pressed to one ear as he sent the transmission, tapping his finger tips on a bright screen impatiently.

_'George you bastard, what can I do you for?…' _The answering voice was gruff and throaty, it's owner just as hoarse and named Schuberski. Eli Schuberski.

_'How 'bout tellin' me your location so I can drop a crapload of metal on top of your big head?'_ George hung onto his last word as he waited for a reply. He knew what was coming and relished in the hilarity of Schuberski's booming laughter. Sure enough, silence was soon replaced by a mixture of shouting, roaring and deep chuckling by the other man. George had also joined in, though his laughing was on an entirely lower level of volume.

_'Alright, you mad son-of-a-bitch. Why don't you check your radar?'_

Norm frowned in confused surprise. Then George pressed his index finger onto another screen that lit up brighter than the others. On it, a 3D instrument projected the distance between their current location and the Compound. The projection included a basic map of the forest in between the two locations and then an image of a three airships materialised coming up the river not twenty leagues from the fallen Home Tree.

"Damn," George said. "That was quick."

* * *

Neytiri screamed out in fear when she saw her Jake and his Ikran plummet haphazardly through the thick canopies, her heartbeat racing at a thunderous pace. Her fear was wild and furiously pure and in these moments she refused to let him come into harms way. A deep and mysterious energy pulsated throughout her being and she felt it as a wave of power extending into the far reaches of the forest. Every animal, every tree, was _listening_ to her as she called out for Jake. It was a a single action, or feeling, or...she didn't quite understand. It was like she had beckoned for the whole world to stop and save him.

Then, with wide, glassy eyes, Neytiri witnessed this strange episode for what it was. Another two Ikran had appeared, both completely wild. One was was weaving it's way in and out of the dense greenery towards the falling Jake as the other, which was oddly large in comparison to most, had managed to take hold of Jake's Ikran. Those two had then glided to a tree where they were now latched securely to its bare trunk.

_It seems_, whispered Mo'at, _that his Ikran experienced the blackout when he was connected with Jake._

_But he is still falling, mother!_ Neytiri seemed distraught that the other Ikran had not rescued Jake.

_Be patient, child._

For an instant she was ignorant to the sheer speed at which the first Ikran was flying and within seconds, it had swooped underneath Jake. It caught his limp body and was making it's way towards Jake's own and the large one. Neytiri smiled with relief and happiness.

_We must return now._ Mo'at triggered little response from Neytiri, and they released the Bond from the Tree of Souls quietly.

"What happened?"

"To Jake? I do not know. It is something outside my understanding," she admitted. "However, what happened to you is something very special. My Neytiri, you will not be an ordinary Tsahik. Your bond with Eywa will be greater than all those before you."

"What do you mean?"

"What you have just done now, has never been accomplished before. It is as though you channelled the will of Eywa through your own thoughts and emotions, to the Ikran to save Jake. I also believe you can do much more."

"More? I do not know if this role is for me, mother."

"Listen to this old Tsahik. Eywa has chosen you. Before we leave for the Forbidden Place tomorrow, the Omaticaya shall celebrate their new Tsahik."

Neytiri's eyes widened in shock. A new Tsahik was always chosen during the time of the one before her, and only takes her place after her passing. When Neytiri heard her mother, she didn't quite hear her. Maybe she didn't hear her correctly, perhaps there was another explanation.

"Oel ngati kameie, my daughter." Mo'at held Neytiri's head in her hands as pearls of tears slid down her cheeks. She leant forward and kissed her child's forehead then scooped up some of the pink iridescent vines from the Tree of Souls to make the Bond.

"N-no."

Neytiri's tears streamed down, her face contorted with the terrible feeling of emptiness, like her body was being torn apart. The pain in Mo'at's eyes were reflected in her daughters as she made the Bond. Neytiri screamed when her mother's body went slack and quickly made the Bond over her mother. She called out to her, begged for her to come back. There was nothing. Neytiri cried out for her mother again and again and again until her voice broke with a high pitched squeak.

The lifeless body of Mo'at lay against Neytiri as though she were in a calm slumber. The sway of the vines and the soft chatter of forest animals became distant and irrelevant, and in the empty moment, Neytiri was deathly silent.

What else could she do?

She had travelled here with her mother on the backs of the Pa'li who stood by the rocks spider webbed with roots, never actually think of it, but having every intention of returning with Mo'at. She had almost lost her Jake, had realised a magnificent and strange power which then led to the loss of her mother. It was too much. Just too much for one person to handle. And so her tears continued to fall as she cradled her mother, gently rocking back and forth.

_Neytiri._ One word jolted her out of her grief. _Neytiri. I am still with you._

"Mother?" she called out in a blubber of teary coughing.

_Yes, my child. I said that you were special. This is but a taste of your ability._

_How can this be?_

_You are Eywa's vassal, her chosen daughter. You can channel her spirit into your own and see all that she knows._

_But why is it I can speak to you?_ Neytiri's amazement was overflowing. Her spirit was aloft in the consciousness of Eywa and yet her mind was telling her that it was impossible, that today was too startling to comprehend.

_Because this is what you can do_, answered Mo'at.

_Can I only speak with you?_

_Everyone is here, including your father._

Neytiri would have choked in astonishment had she still been within her own mind. _Father?_

_My '__itetsyìp._

_I-I…Father?_

_I am so proud of you. You have become a stronger woman than I could ever have dreamed. You and Jake will lead the people safely to a new home. This I know._

_Thank you, father._

_Your sister is here also,_ her father said warmly.

_Sylwanin!_

_Hello, little sister. I told you that not all sky people are monsters. Just be careful of some of them. They too are people and as there is bad in each of us, so too is there bad in each of them._

_Oh, Sylwanin. I miss you both so much._

Neytiri was about to ask more questions until she felt something that was vastly different to everything else. _Hello, Neytiri._

_Grace!_

_How are you, Neytiri?_ Grace seemed almost to giggle when her spirit drifted into consciousness. Though Neytiri could not see them, she could hear them clearly. While the voices of Neytiri's family were quieter, smoother and more reverent, Grace's was noisy and jagged. It was like her alien mind was still too different to that of the children of Eywa.

_I am well, the Sky People miss you_, she decided to say.

_Pfft, they're just sucking up 'cause they know I'm watching. Give Norm a slap over the head for getting his Avatar killed and tell Jake that he's done well, but there's a long way to go._

_He knows it all too well. It eats away at him always and for this I am fearful._ In the back of her mind, she visualised Jake's stern face with the concern and self-doubt she knew to be in his heart. In a way she felt helpless, because she knew that he could be the only one to help himself in his wallowing revelry.

Then there was the way he had blacked out as he had when taken from his Na'vi body. But there was no other body for his spirit to return to. Jake the human was dead.

* * *

_Attention all personnel. _Starsail Delta_ will be entering Pandora's atmosphere in approximately 54 hours. _

_Sectors 1, 7 and 8 will be designated as off limits within 24 hours due to preparations for approaching Pandora. Please vacate these sectors as quickly and orderly as possible. For further assistance please seek out our number of _Starsail_ attendants._

Starsail Delta_ will be entering Pandora's atmosphere in approximately 54 hours._

**So Neytiri's sister is actually mentioned in the Extended Edition. She was on good terms with the Humans until she was killed by a human soldier and that's how hostility began between the Omaticaya and the RDA. This is also why Neytiri hates the sky people until she meets Jake and then she becomes like her sister.**

**Anyway, not long until the humans arrive! (Gasp) Imagine their reaction when their mine isn't being mined.**


End file.
